Those Precious Little Moments
by WeirdWingedDaydreamingBookworm
Summary: Because small things are what usually matters the most. [A series of unconnected oneshots. Taking requests. Any pairings you want, not just canons.] Third Story: A Few Steps Difference [BestFriends!KUKAMU] - for Guest
1. First Story: The Tea Problem (AMUTO)

**_A/N (general): _**_This story will be a collection of unrelated oneshots centered around everyday life situation, like going back from school/work, buying groceries, studying in a library etc. _**_I will be taking requests for this story, so oneshots will be based on your wishes. _**_I would like to keep it in a normal world AU, but if you want a Guardians and purifying eggs situation or a chara pairing or something, I guess I should try and make that work too._

**_Rating _**_can be anywhere between K and T - no M because I would be terrible at writing smut and am not completely comfortable writing it, so it's really for your own good._

**_Genres _**_can be Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama or basically anything else, but I would prefer it if you would go around Horror, Poetry, Parody and Western, and I also don't really know if you can make Suspense and Mystery work in a oneshot, but if you really want me to write one, you can suggest it separately of this so maybe I will make a separate story about it (though I never tried writing either genre, so it might turn out disastrous, but I have to practice anyway). Genres like Adventure or Supernatural are available in the original Shugo Chara! world chapters I mentioned above._

**_Pairings _**_can be _**_literally anything _**_you want, and __**not just canons**__. Shipping a crack pairing? Bring it on! I enjoy crack pairings because they are great fun, and I know there aren't any fanfictions about them usually, so now's your chance._

**_Characters _**_can be any age and in any sort of relationship: romantic in any stage (on the beginning, established etc.), friends in any stage (bests, normal etc.) or family. Or enemies. Or, I don't know, a shrink and a patient. Or a fireman and girl whose house just burned down. Anything._

_You can _**_PM me _**_**the requests**__ or just _**_leave them in reviews_**_. You can be as detailed as you like, meaning you can tell me how old you want them to be, what school/college/work you want them to attend/do, should they live alone or with someone, what relationship should be like for him/her and the one you're pairing them with, rating, genre etc. If you don't have anything that particular in mind, tell me the pairing and situation and I will make the rest the way I see best. In really extreme cases, you can just tell me either pairing or situation, but I would like you to stay on both. Also, if it is not clear from the very request what world do you want, you have to specify that too. _

**_One last thing: _**_I haven't watched the anime, so I'm sorry, but no anime originals as characters. I might watch just the episodes they're in so then you'll be able to request it, but until then (I will tell you if that happens, don't worry) please don't bother. _

_These rules will be posted on my profile too._

_**Warning(s):** Crack pairings. No anime originals. Mostly normal world AU. Possible mistakes. _

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Shugo Chara!_ or any of its places and characters, nor do I own any of your ideas. _

* * *

**Rating:** K+

**Genre(s):** Friendship/Romance

**Summary:** Shared flat, and what can happen in the process of making a cup of tea.

**World: **Normal world AU

**Pairing(s):** AmuxIkuto [AMUTO], but just in a crush stage, mentions of RimaxNagihiko [RIMAHIKO]

**Warning(s):** Eh… Ikuto being Ikuto?

**Disclaimer:** The plot is mine.

**A/N:** Starting with the classic. Based around the everyday situation of making tea.

* * *

**~The Tea Problem~**

Amu was standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at a small wall cabinet.

It wasn't something one would usually entertain himself with in the middle of the day, but she was currently performing sort of a praying session, silently pleading that her attempts to hide the cupboard's contents proved to be useful for once. She really tried everything she could think of, hiding it behind jars and boxes at first, before realizing such measures were far too small, then moving on bigger things like putting it _in_ jars and boxes. When that still wasn't enough, she started using dirty tricks. Leaving it in other rooms, putting it in other spices' places, hiding it in the dirty laundry basket, keeping it in the silverware drawer, but nothing ever seemed sufficient to keep it safe.

Taking a deep breath, Amu closed her eyes, yanked the cabinet's doors open and peeked underneath her eyelids.

Her tea wasn't there. _Again_.

"Ikuto!" she screamed while slamming the doors shut, wondering how did he manage to find it hidden in the can she usually kept her favorite cookies in. She could imagine him in her head, snickering at the thought he managed to piss her off again. She actually hated giving him the satisfaction, but considering her temper and the fact that her currently missing tea was, for now, the only nonliving thing that could relax her, she somehow managed to justify the outbursts in her head.

An almost bored voice rang from the other side of the apartment. "What do you want?"

"Get over here! Now!"

Amu crossed her arms over her chest, patting one foot impatiently on the floor. She was absolutely positive that Ikuto will take all the time in the world just to make her angrier. It was still a mystery to her how he ended being her roommate. All she knew was one day she was putting up a flyer about searching for one, and the next day he was in her flat, paying his half of the rent and unpacking. The rest was kind of a blur.

There was a lot of shuffling and all sorts of weird tapping noises before Ikuto finally decided to show himself. The bad thing was that he was apparently taking a shower before she called him, which Amu regrettably realized only when he casually strolled into the kitchen, so not only was he wearing nothing but a pair of pants, but was also drying his hair with a towel so all his muscles were straining. Amu sighed. Why was this guy determined to not in any way help the tiniest crush she might or might have not developed on him? When she caught herself thinking that, Amu almost blushed, but contained herself in the last moment. It was really fortunate that it was still a secret only her diary knew.

She returned her attention to Ikuto, successfully ignoring the fact he hasn't stopped rubbing the towel to his head yet. "Will you ever learn the proper dress code?" she growled at him.

He looked at her, unimpressed. "In case you have forgotten, I live here."

"Have _you_ forgotten that you're rooming with a _girl_?"

Ikuto produced a sound very much like tehee. "Now Amu, I know you love me, and I want to let you know I'm ready for you to jump me any time you want, but –"

"Ikuto. Go. Get. Something. To. Wear."

"Sure. I was pretty certain you called me for something, though, but I'm going to leave now then… "

"No!"

"Oh, so you want to oogle me naked that much?"

At this point, Amu considered continuing this conversation pointless and in the same time pretty impossible. She was taking very deep breaths, the way that Nagi taught her was the best, listening to Ikuto's quiet chuckling and trying to think of it as a calming and not an irritating sound. "Okay", she breathed out. "Alright. Let's drop that for a minute. Now. Where is my tea?" she asked looking him straight in the eyes.

Ikuto returned the look completely calm. "And how should I know?"

All of Amu's attempts to keep this remotely civilized failed. "Because you took it, you moron!"

"And what makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you do it _every single day_?"

"No I don't."

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know."

"Ikuto", Amu snarled menacingly. "Listen. I have to study for an extremely stressful test for tomorrow, so I'm really not in the mood for your nonsense, and if you don't give it back –"

"I don't have it."

Amu sighed. He was sometimes too stubborn for his own good. "Why do you even do this? It's not like you drink it or anything."

He grinned. "Maybe I just like seeing you frustrated."

With that, he turned around and left the kitchen.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Amu was in Ikuto's room, searching for her missing tea with zero success.

After she got over her rage fit, she went straight here. It was where he usually hid it. It was an enchanted circle, that was: She would hide the tea from him, he would, somehow, unexplainably, find it and hide it in his room, and then she would search for it with changeable results.

It wasn't like she couldn't just make herself another tea, but there was some special calming effect to this one, and with the end of semester just around the corner and tests lurking from everywhere, she needed it more than ever. She sometimes, however, was too tired to bother or just had too much work to keep wasting time, so she would make herself another one. But with all the recent stress, she couldn't let herself do that unless she wanted to fail every single test, so she actually purchased another box of it unknown to Ikuto (or at least she hoped so) which she kept hidden in her room and which was kind of a backup if she couldn't find the original. Granted, she could skip that part completely, but she couldn't bear the humiliation of losing to him. Yes, she did consider it a competition, and giving up before you tried was something she would never do.

* * *

Amu returned the books behind which she was looking back to the shelf and sank to the floor. She was searching for half an hour now (surprising enough, Ikuto was never in his room when she searched, but she was certain in was because he enjoyed watching her torture from afar) and still couldn't find anything, so no matter how much she hated to admit it, it was time for the second box.

She got out of his room and headed for hers which was down the hallway, wondering where did Ikuto go. It was too… peaceful.

So you could say she didn't quite expect that when she opened her room's door, there would be Ikuto sitting on her bed.

Amu just stood at the door, her hand still on the knob and her jaw on the floor. Ikuto smirked at her. "Yo."

That made her get back to reality again. "You! What do you… What are you doing here?!" Her eyes wandered from his face so she noticed something else. "And why are you still half naked?!"

"Nothing much. Chillin'. And because I like it that way. And I know you like it that way too."

"GET OUT!"

* * *

While she was making her very much deserved cup of tea, Amu was constantly glancing toward Ikuto. He put a shirt on, at last, and was now sitting at the table writing some notes and eating a piece of toast. He seemed completely normal, or at least what passed as normal when talking about him, but Amu still sensed something wasn't right.

Leaving the tea in the boiled water, she turned around and leaned on the counter. "Ikuto?"

"Mmm?"

"What were you doing in my room earlier?"

He looked from his notes to view her from head to toe. "I told you. Chillin'."

"Yeah, yeah, and you expect me to believe that? You are always somewhere when I search your room, and now I suspect I know where."

"Yeah, I'm in your room, so what?"

"So what are you doing there? And why do you go there in the first place? It's hardly inspirational."

"I like the atmosphere."

Amu snorted. Her room was in the same measure girly and gothic, which probably made it depressing. She highly doubted it was a place Ikuto would "like the atmosphere" at. "Yeah. Sure. Seriously, what were you doing there?"

"Nothing."

Concluding it was no use and he was obviously not going to tell her anything, she shook her head and got back to making her tea. Some time passed in silence.

"So you have tests, and you're still going to the cinema with Nagi and Rima on the weekend?"

Amu flinched a little at the sudden sound of his voice. She turned around to look at him suspiciously. It was weird to hear such a normal question from him. When they talked, they usually either fought or he was trying to convince her she wanted him. Not that she didn't, but she could never admit it to him.

When she confirmed he looked as innocent as he sounded (which was also suspicious, but still), she turned back and slowly answered. "Yeah. It's kind of a stress relief. Like the tea you're constantly stealing from me."

Clearly deciding to ignore the last statement, Ikuto continued, "Even though they are probably going to "make out all the time"?"

"Well", Amu started defensively, "they are boyfriend and girlfriend, so I guess it's natural, but it can still get quite annoying when you're trying to concentrate on the film and all you hear are this disgusting, wet –"

Amu froze in the middle of the sentence. It only now hit her that what Ikuto was saying was not something he was supposed to be saying because it was not something he was even supposed to _know_. She was sure she didn't tell him, and she also knew he didn't have any contact with Nagi or Rima, so how did he find out?

His voice appeared in her head. "Even though they are probably going to "make out all the time"?"

That was something she had written in…

Ikuto was ready when she jumped at him, slipping from his chair and catching her arms to hold them behind her back. Amu struggled. "You perverted idiot! You read my diary! You've been reading it every day! You jerk!"

Ikuto laughed at her meaningless attempts to get free and punish him for such a sinful deed and leaned in and to her ear, "I told you I knew you liked me."

Needless to say, the diary was locked in Amu's drawer from that day on. Along with her tea.

* * *

**A/N:** Hehe, silly Amu. Keeping a diary while living with Ikuto. Oh well. You imagine what was happening next.

**Send me your requests!** R&R, C&C if you want. Thank you for reading!


	2. Second Story: Warm Colors (MIKIHIKO)

**_A/N (general): _**_I will be changing the official rating, genres and characters to the ones I used in the last story written here. Just to tell you what's the last thing in store. For the rest of previous ones, everything will be listed above the story itself. _

* * *

**Rating: **K+

**Genre(s): **Romance

**Summary: **"The bench. The forgotten notebook. Leaves carried by the wind. And her. Like a speck of winter in the warmth of autumn."

**World: **Normal world AU

**Pairing(s): **MikixNagihiko [MIKIHIKO]

**Warning(s): **Crack pairing. CharaxHuman, but normal world AU so Human!Miki.

**Disclaimer: **This was requested by kawaiiamy1. **Original request:** "Can you please do a Miki x Nagihiko? If you can- Please?" So I'm doing it. The plot itself was shaped by me.

**A/N: **Okay, I won't lie, when I first saw this pairing, I practically balled my eyes out from surprise. But then, in a matter of seconds, pictures and ideas just started flashing through my head, and I was like, "Wow. I'm going to write this." So yeah. Call my mind weird, you won't be wrong, but this happened. I don't have much hope a lot of people will read it, but eh. It is based on the everyday situation of strolling through the park.

* * *

**~Warm Colors~**

Leaves were falling down from the dry branches, floating in the wind before they landed on the ground. Bright reds and oranges with splashes of yellow flashed as they twisted and turned. It was so pure and wonderful, like watching a children's game of tag. They truly looked like they were chasing one another, and rustling sounded like quiet laughter.

A sudden, stronger gust of wind pushed them all aside, like the kids were going home before the storm caught them in the open.

Nagihiko shuddered and nuzzled his head in the scarf around his neck, tightening the grip of his coat's fabric around himself. It was only October, but it was getting cold really quickly.

Throwing one last look at now nearly leafless trees, he stepped back on the narrow pebble path which led him there. It was late and he was supposed to be home by now, but he found himself unable to walk away from the wonders of Nature's life cycle before. The path he was taking was known to almost no one and will lead him deeper in the park's forest, but if he walks down it long enough, he will eventually reach the other end of it and return to civilization.

He sighed. He wasn't particularly sure he wanted to.

It was when he already entered the area of deeper trees that something caught his eye. A glint of movement, coming from behind a bush on his left.

Nagihiko frowned. It was particularly rare to see people in this part of the park, especially this deep in the forest and especially when it was this cold. Curious, he noticed there was a branch of the path leading to that direction.

He was about to step on it when he abruptly stopped and bit his lip. If a person behind that bush managed to find even lonelier place to be than he did, then he or she really wanted some privacy.

The movement repeated, and now he was sure he could hear something similar to… scribbling?

Overwhelmed by some unfamiliar urge, he took the path and turned a corner, firstly noticing that there was a bench there, and then that there was someone sitting on it.

It was a girl, and he faintly remembered that she transferred to his school recently. He never spoke to her before, but he heard there were all sorts of rumors circling around about her and her family.

She was holding a drawing notebook. She looked so indulged in whatever she was doing that he wasn't sure she noticed him. After a bit of hesitation, he decided and moved to sit next to her.

He didn't get a piece of reaction.

As there apparently wasn't any hope for a conversation, he continued to stare at her. He never really got a good look at her before, but now he noticed she was beautiful. Big, blue eyes, short blue haircut and pale skin. She seemed somehow cold, colder than the air around them. Like she skipped autumn and jumped straight into winter.

Speaking of which, he realized then that she was dressed rather thinly – a white button-up shirt with a simple vest and a pair of trousers. She didn't look like she was freezing, but then again, her face was so motionless that he wasn't sure it mattered.

"Aren't you cold?"

The question slipped before it even finished molding in his head.

She turned toward him, and Nagihiko had to hold his breath. Those blue eyes sent shivers through him. Although he was here for quite some time now, she reacted as if he only appeared that moment. She remained static, but given that Nagihiko was inspecting her eyes all the while, he thought he saw a bit of interest and something that could've maybe passed as surprise, which was odd. She was examining him almost as if she couldn't figure out why was he there.

"A little." The voice was as flat as the exterior, but in the same time extremely gentle. Childish, almost.

She shrugged her small shoulders. "But it doesn't matter. Because it's actually warm."

Nagihiko looked at her in utter surprise. Okay, people have different opinions about hot and cold, but calling this weather "warm"? "What do you mean?"

Silent, she pointed her hand toward the nearby trees. Nagihiko watched the dancing leaves and sure they were amazing, but they still didn't tell what she wanted to convey to him. "Colors."

Nagihiko jumped and turned around. She was staring at him. He didn't even notice it until then, but she must've seen the confusion on his face.

He looked toward the trees again. Colors… Red, orange and yellow. Warm colors.

He had to admit he was impressed. This girl just kept surprising him. "I see."

He gazed at her again, at her straight face. She was still watching him. He couldn't really tell was she curious as him or not, but introduction couldn't do any harm. "I'm Nagihiko", he said. "What's you name?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Why are you talking to me?"

As rude as it sounded, Nagihiko was actually convinced that wasn't her intention. It was an honest question, as if she really didn't know why would someone want to do such an absurd thing. He smiled. "Because you managed to find this place while I haven't, because you're cute, and because you have interesting opinions about local temperature. And I want to know your name."

She blushed. It was very faint, but still visible on her white skin, making her look like a porcelain doll. "People don't usually talk to me", she murmured.

"I'm not people. And I don't see why not. I managed to find three reasons to talk to you in about a minute."

She offered him a genuine, bit shy smile there, and Nagihiko found his breath hitching. "Miki. My name is Miki."

* * *

From that day on, they met at the park every day after school. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes just sit in silence while she was drawing. Time passed by quickly, and sometimes they found themselves parting ways after dark has already become thick.

In school they would meet for lunch and such, but it was harder. People stayed away from her, and Nagi's friends tried to talk him out of hanging out with her, saying that she was weird and her family was always fighting, so it was not good. "Why not?" he would always reply angrily. "Shouldn't that mean she needs support and friends even more? It's not her fault!" He would then dash away, and although they looked guilty, nothing ever changed.

As for Miki herself, she stayed silent. She never gave in to the nasty looks and vicious whispers, but just sat still in some corner and drew. She had a stubborn personality like that, and she often told him not to bother with her. She meant it was best for him, although that might've not been what she wanted. "Why don't you accept you mean something to me? I don't want to be over there, with people who talk behind your back. I want to be by your side." She always looked so happy after he said it, though she tried not to show it. Still, that half covered smile was all he needed to convince himself what he was doing was right.

One day, when he went to their usual spot, he found her sitting on the bench completely wet, staring at the few leaves that were still barely hanging on the trees.

He gasped and ran over, taking her face in his hands and asking her what happened frantically. "Some girls in the school", she answered completely calm. "They spilled water on me."

Nagihiko felt anger boiling inside him. "Why did they do it?"

"I don't know. Probably because it's me."

He shot a look of disbelief at her. It was most likely true, they didn't need any other reason, but seeing her just accepting that so lightly was something he couldn't take. "Listen," he started, "it's not okay what they are doing. You didn't do anything wrong. They just don't like you because not one of them is as smart and pretty and talented as you are. And it's okay to tell them. It's okay to correct something that isn't right. Because you're special. You're special to me. You're not just any other girl, and you have the right to stand up."

He couldn't have a good look at her face because her cap was hiding it, but he thought he saw a determined twitch her lips made. Smiling, he took her hand. "Now come on, you have to go home and change."

"I… I don't want to go." He looked down to see her hands clutching the front of his jacket. "Not… not yet."

Slowly, he nodded his head and sat down. He opened his arms toward her, and she looked at him questioningly. "You're cold."

"I told you, it doesn't –"

"Yes, I know, it doesn't matter, but look", he pointed. "Colors are almost gone. Or just think about it as this – I want you in my arms, and you want to be there too."

Not saying anything, she obeyed, and he hugged her to his chest. She was so petite and fragile. And she still refused to admit she was cold. Because as long as the colors were around her, it would be alright.

"Nagihiko?" she mumbled against his neck.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for staying with me all along."

He then noticed she was pushing her notebook toward him. He took it, opening it on a marked page.

It was a drawing of him among the trees. Leaves were flying around his head, and he looked as calm and peaceful as he felt while watching them. But what stood out the most were the colors. They were all vivid, but the ones she used to draw him were shining the brightest.

He smiled and hugged her tighter.

They stayed like that for a long time, and Nagihiko knew that whatever happens from now on, he will cherish this memory. The bench. The forgotten notebook. Leaves carried by the wind. And her. Like a speck of winter in the warmth of autumn.

* * *

**A/N:** I didn't originally intend to add the metaphor. It just sorta… happened. Like this whole story happened. I know it's a weird pairing, but don't be judgmental! Miki is a human here, after all. And I don't think it turned out that bad.

**Send me your requests!** R&R, C&C if you want. Thank you for reading!


	3. Third Story: A Few Steps Difference

**Rating:** K+

**Genre(s):** Friendship/Humor

**Summary: **It started with a coincidental sleepover. And then those twenty steps decided at whose house were they sleeping tonight.

**World: **Normal world AU

**Pairing(s): **BestFriends!KuukaixAmu [KUKAMU], mentions of AmuxIkuto [AMUTO] and KuukaixUtau [KUTAU]

**Warnings: **Umm… None really?

**Disclaimer:** This was requested by a nameless Guest. **Original request:** "Can you please please please do one with Amu and Kukai with a bro/sis or best friends relationship?" The plot was shaped by my humble self.

**A/N:** So considering this is how I actually see Amu and Kuukai's relationship, I thought it weird and extremely frustrating that I couldn't think of a decent plot. For days I just had these undefined ideas, like Ami jumping at Kuukai, and him and Amu playing football together, and then what turned out to be the last scene here. In the end, I just combined it, because I figured it would be the best that way, so now you have snippets. Based around sleepovers.

* * *

**~A Few Steps Difference~**

**1. **

Amu swore loudly, and that said something. Amu usually didn't swear.

The thing was, it was eleven p.m., it was raining, she didn't have an umbrella and her keys seemed to be missing. What more, she just had an extremely strenuous day so she didn't have time get lunch, and now her stomach was protesting in the most painfully annoying way.

She groaned and whirled her bag over her head, releasing it so it hit the door. She let herself fall to the floor, thinking that this was the day God decided to punish her for all her sins.

Just as she was wondering will she have to spend the night there, outside in the cold wind, a voice called, "Yo."

Amu raised her head, feeling completely miserable. She saw some guy that didn't really ring any bells, and she was pretty sure they never met before. He had brown spiked hair and a massive grin, which Amu thought was rude, considering her current state. Most importantly, he was holding an umbrella (lucky bastard). "You need help?"

Amu was contemplating what should she do. On one hand, she had absolutely no idea who this dude was, and was he some crazy stalker or what else, as well as what he might do to her or what was his idea of "help".

On the other, that umbrella looked really inviting.

"Maybe", she answered cautiously.

He looked as if he was having fun watching her reactions. "It looks like you do to me." He came a few steps closer and crouched next to her. "What's the matter?"

Amu looked at scattered contents of her bag that flew everywhere. Casually searching through them with her eyes, she still didn't see the mean to get into her apartment anywhere. She looked at the stranger again. He was patiently waiting for her response. He didn't seem particularly harmful. And she knew there was a bunch of those old sayings her mum liked, about not judging the book by its cover and never trusting people you don't know and not going anywhere with them, but right now she was cold, hungry and tired enough to go somewhere even with the devil himself if it meant she could get out of that stupid position. "I lost my keys." It kinda slipped without her concious consent.

The guy smiled, which under the circumstances probably should've seemed creepy to her, and she should've thanked him by saying, "No thank you", run away to the nearest lodging place and call the police from there to tell them there is a suspicious person in the neighborhood and then just go to sleep.

But she didn't.

"Good thing I ran into you then", he said.

Amu's sleep hazed mind seemed to have just thrown away any sensible course of action because she found herself saying, "Really? And what do you propose I do?"

He shrugged. "Want to crash at my place for the night? It's only a block away."

It was a seriously bad idea to accept that offer and go and sleep over at the place belonging to a person she never met. It was probably the most foolish thing to do in this or any other situation for that matter.

Problem? Amu was in too much of a bad mood to listen to her brain's excuses anymore. She didn't care if the guy raped her at this point. (Not that she really considered that an option. He just didn't seem like that type.)

So she got up, gathered her belongings (that took a while), stuffed them in the bag and joined the guy under his rain protection. She almost felt like she stepped into Heaven. Guy looked a bit surprised after all, more so when she took his hand in the ways medieval ladies did, so they were linked by elbows, and said, "Well, Mister Potential Rapist, lead the way."

He just silently obliged, offering her a crooked smile. He led her down the street and around a corner, and then down that street a bit and they were there.

He definitely didn't lie – he was living very close.

As he got his own keys for the fence door from his pocket, Amu asked, "Why are you doing this?"

She was watching his back as he answered. "No particular reason. You seemed to be in trouble, and I figured I might be able to help, so I offered."

Amu was having trouble processing this. "Why?"

He unlocked the door and held them for her to come in. "You seem like an okay girl."

"Oh yeah?" she asked over her shoulder while climbing the stairs he pointed. "And how would you know that? From my aura or some crap like that?" Apparently, she was still nervy enough to be mordant.

His grin grew. "No, I was seeing you around campus."

That surprised her. So they were in the same college? Again, she was almost certain she didn't know him, but now, under the dim light coming from the ceiling, she got a better look at him, and some of his features were becoming recognized by her almost dead brain. "Wait a minute", she said as they stopped on his floor and he was shuffling with keys again. "You are that sporty kid. So… Su… Suma?"

"Souma. Souma Kuukai."

He opened the door and they entered his small apartment. "And you are? Something starting with an H, right?"

"Hinamori Amu."

He smiled and extended his hand to her, and when she, a bit confused, shook it, he grinned again and waved the same hand around. "Well, Hinamori Amu, welcome to my humble home."

He showed her where the bathroom and bedroom were, and Amu looked around with interest. It was similar to her own place by size and room locations, but Kuukai decorated his mainly in things having something to do with sports. There were various balls, posters, souvenirs from games he probably went to, trophies from his own ones. It was relatively tidy, though, and cozy enough.

When he finished showing her around, Kuukai turned and said, "Now, since you look like you're going to drop dead from exhaustion, we should probably go to sleep."

"Eh? Ah, yes. And… Kuukai?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks. I just realized I haven't said that yet."

Kuukai smiled fondly and ruffled her hair. "No probs, kid."

Amu frowned at him.

"Really though", she said as he gave her one of his shirts for her to sleep in. "How do I know you're not going to rape me or something?"

He chuckled, and Amu was worried for a moment, but then he said, "Don't worry, kid. I mean, don't get me wrong, you're cute. But I already have a girlfriend."

* * *

When Amu woke up the next morning, she had trouble remembering where she was at first. Then she saw the T-shirt she was wearing and it came back. She looked to the side to see Kuukai getting up, yawning and stretching. They got up at almost exact same time, huh? And he kept his promise of not violating her, so that was a plus.

Kuukai turned around and noticed her. He was obviously still too dazed to flash his teeth, but a hint of a smirk passed his face as he said, "Morning, Hinamori."

Amu rubbed her eyes, and murmured a "Good morning." For some reason, though, it didn't feel embarrassing. Amu wondered why. She just slept in the same room with an unfamiliar guy, after all (Kuukai gave her a reserve futon he kept in his closet in case someone from his rather large family comes to visit, as he explained), and she didn't even feel like blushing, and there was no awkwardness in the air. It almost felt natural.

"You can go to the bathroom first", Kuukai informed her. "I have to do morning exercises anyway, so it will be more efficient that way."

"Oh, okay."

She did as she was told, and after she got out and Kuukai went in, she dressed and found her way to the kitchen. She started making breakfast, which was something like saying "thank you" to him. And just maybe a way to calm her stomach, which was once again growling now that she had no bigger worries distracting her.

He was pleasantly surprised, and they ate together, finished preparing and then even went to college together. They only stopped by Amu's apartment (her keys mysteriously appeared in her jacket pocket, at which Kuukai laughed for full two and half minutes while Amu firstly apologized and then proceeded to punch him on the shoulder) for her to change and get her things.

He was making her smile, and it felt pleasant while they were talking. And just like that, Amu knew this was going to last.

* * *

**2.**

"Hinamori! Open the door! I'm freezing here!"

Amu shook her head and got up. As she sighed, however, she couldn't help the small quirk of her lips. Kuukai was such an idiot sometimes.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming, you dork."

She let him in and he practically flew to her living room, Amu following close by and laughing. Kuukai glared at her. "Oh, yeah, laugh your ass off. You try going for take-out in this weather", he grumbled as he set their food on the table.

"I wouldn't mind. I would actually dress myself properly." She lowered her eyes to gaze at her pullover. "It's your fault that you thought a _hoodie_ will be enough while it's this cold."

"I'm a tough guy."

"Really? And why were you whining about freezing a moment ago?" she tittered.

Kuukai decided to ignore the question. "What are you studying today?" he asked instead.

"English. You?"

"Math", he groaned.

Amu let a grin which unpleasantly resembled his own take over her face. "Well, good thing we have food."

He didn't even dignify her a look.

* * *

A few hours later, they found themselves too tired to continue doing anything but sprawl around and chat tiredly.

"So", Amu asked with a yawn while scooting her knees closer to her chest, "how's Utau doing?"

"She's fine. A little bit stressed, I suppose. They're really milking her out for this film shooting", he answered from his place on her couch. Amu looked at him from its foothill. "Say, why is it that every time we have a study session like this, you end up on the couch and I end up on the floor? It is _my_ flat, you know."

Kuukai looked at her from where he was laying and then down his nose at himself, like that realization only now hit him. "Well, when we study at my place –"

"When we study at your place, you _still_ end up on the couch."

Kuukai smirked. "Maybe from the same reason I always end up sleeping here and you end up sleeping over there. We're just too lazy to do anything about it."

Amu looked at him flatly, and then sighed again. "I really don't understand what Utau sees in someone like you. Imagine, a superstar dating such a moron."

"Who's the bigger moron? The one who is that by nature or the one who has him as her best friend?"

Amu smiled. "Fair point."

An hour later still, they were asleep in those same positions.

* * *

**3.**

"Hey, Amu."

Amu looked up from the field she and Kuukai have been playing football on and shot him an inquiring look.

His hair was messed up even more than usual, he was sweaty, and his gloved hands held the ball. He nodded his head toward something behind her back. "That guy is staring at you."

Amu looked at him with despise. "Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?"

"No, I'm serious; look, he's practically drooling", he said, stretching his neck as if to see better. "He's not bad, either." He winked at her. "Nice catch, kid."

Amu blushed. All of her screamed that this was just another of Kuukai's attempts to get her to turn away and score a goal for himself; on the other hand, he was never this insistent.

"Look, he has blue hair, and what is that? Is that a violin?"

"Okay!" she snapped. "I'll look. But I swear to you, Souma, if this really is one of your stunts again, you –"

"I'm dead." He looked bored. "You think I don't know that after all this time?" He teasingly snorted. "Come on. He's going to melt if you keep him waiting."

Slowly, very slowly, keeping her eyes on Kuukai until the very last moment, she turned around. And, surprisingly, there was actually a guy there who matched the description Kuukai gave her. He wasn't looking in her direction, though. But he might've turned around in the last second –

A gust of air slapped her cheek as a ball wheezed by her ear. "KUUKAI!"

* * *

As they were walking to his place later on, because it was, no matter how small a difference, closer, and it was getting pretty dark, Amu was still fuming and Kuukai was chuckling for his victory. Not that he wouldn't have won anyway, but it was still apparently funnier this way to him.

"But I wasn't lying, you know" he suddenly said. Amu looked at him questioningly. "He _was_ staring."

* * *

**4.**

"Oh, God, I'm beat", Kuukai moaned.

They were coming back from Yaya's birthday party. Neither of them got drunk (although that couldn't be said for everybody there), but it was still pretty exhausting, with all the dancing and what not. Kuukai also had a theory that that Yaya slipped some sort of, well, _something _in everything eatable, because everyone was acting as high as her on a daily basis by the time party ended.

So he didn't really feel like walking those twenty steps more to get to his own apartment, as Amu's was already so conveniently in front of him. He didn't even have to ask – them spending time and staying at each other's flats was something so common by now that both of them sometimes didn't even notice at first at which one were they. And after that incident when Amu forgot her toothbrush at his place and had to run over there in the morning to get it, each of them got one for the other's apartmant too.

"You know," Amu noticed while letting them in, "I think Ikuto's getting jealous at the time we spend together. I was careful not to mention to him all this about sleeping over, but he did find out somehow. I don't suppose you told him, right?" she finished with a pointed look. She was staring intently, as if hoping his forehead was going to open and spill all his secrets (not that he had any in front of her).

Kuukai rolled his eyes as he shuffled his way to the bedroom and flopped on her bad without a worry in this world. "No, I didn't. Did you consider the possibility of Utau? They are brother and sister after all." A nostalgic look swept over his face. "Man. Who would've thought that the Starer would turn out to be my girlfriend's brother? And that he will have interest in you, of all people." He got a pillow to the head. When he stopped laughing (after getting sure he shot one back), he said, "Although, now that you mention it, I did notice Utau getting a bit weirder about that too." He had a thoughtful expression on. Amu grimaced. "Well, they'll have to deal with it." Then she threw another pillow at him, and, while he was busy wrestling it, ran to the bathroom, yelling, "I'm first!" When Kuukai caught up, she slammed the door to his face.

* * *

**5.**

"Onee-chan! Onee-chaaaaan!" Ami's voice was like somebody was trying to dig a tunnel in her head. Amu prepared herself for the army attack in form of her baby sister, but when the little girl noticed who was behind Amu's back, she ignored her completely and ran over to go koala on that person.

"Kuukai, Kuukai, Kuukai, Kuukai!" she screamed while clinging to him. "You're here! Onee-chan said you might come, but I wasn't sure until now!"

Kuukai forced a smile as he tried to distance himself from her. It was hard, seeing how she wasn't intent on letting go. "Hey, Ami. Listen, I have something to do now, so we will play later, okay?"

"But Kukaiiiii!"

It took ages to shoo her off of him, and then even more to talk her out of dragging him off somewhere instantly. With the promise that he will find her as soon as he's free, she finally left, looking over her shoulder while walking and blinking at him. Kuukai's stomach turned. He returned to Amu, who was, as usual, laughing into insanity at the sight. "That is _so_ not funny, Hinamori", he squeezed out.

Amu wiped her tears. "Oh, believe me, it _so_ is. My little sister having a crush on my best friend? Geez, that is so precious." She started laughing again.

Kuukai ignored her and started to pull her to the house. "Come on. We haven't even greeted your parents yet."

Kuukai liked coming over to the house Amu grew up in. It was big and spacious, with Ami's childish drawings still glued on the walls and her latest test results on the fridge. Everything was full of family pictures, little Hinamori sisters smiling from every corner, some of them dating even before Ami's birth and some having kiddie Amu holding her in her hands as a newborn. The parents were always nice to him, inquiring for gossip on Amu's grades and boyfriends and asking about his family. Amu's father never missed to tell some story from the past, usually containing something Kuukai loved to use as blackmailing material, making Amu blush and go ballistic on her dad. She paid Kuukai back for it when coming to dinner at his family house for holidays – at least two of his brothers would be there, and all of them seemed to have set embarrassing Kuukai as their main life goal. However, this time most of them had to work for the winter, and his parents were visiting some relatives, so, not wanting him to spend Christmas alone, Amu's parents invited him over. And he gladly accepted.

* * *

When Amu and Kuukai woke up the morning after coming to Amu's parents' house, it was snowing outside. "Good", Kuukai said with a devilish look on his face. "Perfect for a snowball fight."

Amu, who already started picking her outfit for the day while he was still laying on the futon, snorted. "What are you, a child?"

"I'll bet you three snowballs in the face that Ikuto is in the front, waiting to drag you away from me."

Amu smirked. "Five that Utau's with him."

Let's just say that after some time, which, not so surprisingly, included a lot of running, attempts at kidnapping and Ami's protests, they both got their fair share of snow to the face.

* * *

**A/N: **The numbers are so you don't get lost, otherwise you wouldn't be able to tell when the line is there to mark the next snippet and when is it there just to emphasize that time has passed, although it's still the same event. I mean, you would be able to tell, you're not dense, but it's still easier this way.

Now, I'm actually very content with this one. But that might be just because I love KUKAMU friendship to the extent of not caring for my potentially crappy writing. That is probably why this was so long… I got carried away. Eh. Sorry.

**Send me your requests!** R&R, C&C if you want. Thank you for reading!


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